Who is Kim Komando?

Who is Kim Komando? The entertainment and computer tech world knows her as Kim Komando the host of an American talk radio program based on the popularity of personal computers, the use of the Internet, and the complexities of consumer electronics. The Kim Komando Show is broadcast and syndicated on over 450 radio stations in the U.S. and two stations in Ontario, Canada. The three-hour call-in show airs on weekends and receives 50,000 calls an hour. Kim Komando’s Digital Minute airs on 390 stations five days a week. According to a Talkers magazine report for the fall of 2006, Komando's weekend program has reached a weekly cume of 2.25 million.^[1] Komando refers to herself on her show as "America's Digital Goddess."^[2]
Komando has appeared on CNN, CBS, MSNBC, ABC, BBC and Fox News, and her syndicated columns appear in USA Today and other newspapers. Komando is also one of the principal shareholders, founders and Chairman/CFO (Barry Young is the CEO) of the Phoenix, Arizona-based WestStar TalkRadio Network, which, in addition to hosting other broadcast programs, distributes the Komando radio programs. Also, through the publishing arm of WestStar, Komando publishes daily and weekly email newsletters addressing issues topical to her radio program. The newsletters reach an audience close to 7 million.

Career

Kim was born July 1, 1967, she started out in sales, working for IBM, AT&T and Unisys. At Unisys, she sold mainframe systems. She sold Honeywell a system for $12 million. Komando started to write a column about computers for the Arizona Business Gazette. This led to a call-in talk show on computers. It aired late at night on KFYI in Phoenix.
In 1992, she quit sales to focus on her column and radio show. She was only earning $60 a week from the column and show combined. Kim developed computer training tapes, which she sold via an infomercial. Over 150,000 tapes were sold for $80 to $120 each. The second generation of tapes included Prodigy. America Online was included with the third generation of tapes. Kim negotiated a role running the info section on AOL’s site.
In the mid-1990s, she started WestStar TalkRadio Network with her husband Barry Young. They built their first studio in 1994. In 1994, ABC told her a syndicated show about computers would never work. The reaction from CBS Radio was similar. They told her computers and the Internet were a fad. They said computers were like pet rocks ^[3]
Today, The Kim Komando Show runs on more than 450 radio stations. The show has almost 10 million listeners weekly. WestStar TalkRadio Network syndicates other national radio shows. It operates from a 6,000-square-foot (560 m²) facility in Phoenix. There are six studios and 30 employees.
Komando has written 10 books on computers and technology.

Personal life

Komando was born and raised in New Jersey. According to her show's website, "Komando" is her actual last name, and is Russian-Ukrainian.^[4] Her father was a businessman. Her mother was part of the team that developed UNIX.
At 16, she graduated from high school. She went on to attend Arizona State University, graduating at 20 with a degree in computer information systems. ^[5] While in school, she trained people to use their computers.

She is married to Barry Young, host of The Nearly Famous Barry Young Show, a local radio show in Phoenix. Their son Ian was born in 2000. Kim Komando-Young has a sister named Jackie. She was born in Watchung, New Jersey.

 

 

Awards

• Komando was the 2006 recipient of the Judy Jarvis Memorial Award for Outstanding Contributions by a Woman to Talk Radio.^[6]
• In 2007, Komando won a Gracie award.^[7] She was also voted “Woman of the Year” by Talker’s Magazine.
• In 2009, Komando was a featured speaker at Fortune Magazine’s Most Powerful Women Summit.

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